Means for thawing automobile radiators



Sept. 16. 1924- 4 1,508,864

G. WHITE MEANS FOR THAWING AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS Filed Jan. 2. 1923 y la"l 7: U672 for;

&W I

Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1 1,508,864 PATENT OFFICE.

GUY WHITE, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR THAWING AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS.

Application filed January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,397.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUY WHITE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in thecounty of Niagaraand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inMeans for Thawing Automobile Radiators, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a means for thawing out the radiators ofautomobiles which utilize the water cooling system.

It is well known to automobile drivers that when a motor vehicle is leftstanding in the open in cold weather, the water in the radiator becomesfrozen, thereby preventing circulation and resulting often in thebreakage of the radiator. When the motor is started under suchconditions, it takes but a short period of time for the water in thejackets of the motor cylinders to be converted into steam which can beseen issuing from the radiator filler-opening.

It is the chief object of this invention to provide means for utilizingthe steam thus generated for thawing out frozen water tubes of the.radiator.

A further object is to provide simple and inexpensive means for thispurpose which tors.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a rear view of an automobileradiator conduit is provided which communicates at embodying myinvention. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlargedvertical section taken in the plane of line 33, Fig. 2. Figure 4 is anenlarged vertical section on line 44, Fig. 1. Figure 5 is a horizontalsection on line 5 --5, Fig. 3.

I Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-5, inclusive, theimprovement is shown in connection with a conventional honeycomb type ofradiator having upperv and lower headers or tanks 10 and 11, waterspaces or passages 12 connecting the lower or otherwise to thecorresponding ends of the radiator shell. As shown in Fig. 5, theseflanges are of the proper dimensions to entirely cover the ends of thewater space, "so that in the ordinary use of the radiator said space isnot utilized as a live passage for conducting the water from the upperto the lower header. The upper pipe fitting 14 is arranged.substantially upright and extends approximately to the top of the upperheader and preferably below the mouth of the customary filler nipple 17.The lower pipe fitting 15 may be in the'form of a rearwardly-facingelbow to which one end of a horizontal pipe 18 is connected, the otherend of said pipe passing through an openparatively close to the lowerrear side of the radiator and its jet openings are preferably inclinedto direct the steam issuing therefrom forwardly and upwardly or at anangle to the radiator, to permit jets of steam to play against the wallsof the Water spaces 12 By this construction, a descending steam into theupper header 10 of the radiator throughthe usual connection between thelatter and the engine. Some of this steam enters the upper pipe 14 andpasses downwardly through the correspondingv water space 12 into thelower pipe fitting 15 and thence to the manifold pipe 21 where it-isfinally discharged through the jet openings One end of an L-shapedfitting 20 is j 22 against the lower frozen portion of the radiatorcore. This'steam playing against the walls ofthe water spaces graduallyand uniformly thaws out the rad ator without danger of sudden expansionand breaking or cracking of the radiator. lit will he understood thatsome of the steam entering the upper header also passes through theother Water spaces and transmits its heat to the upper portion of theradiator to assist in the thawing .out of the same.

Under normal conditions, the steam-conducting passage 12, together withthe upper and lower pipe fittings liand 15 and the manifold pipe 21,acts in the capacity of an overflow for the radiator.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a radiator for automobiles having an upperheader, a lower header and a water passage connecting said headers, of asteam conduit applied to the lower end of said water passage andextending through a wall of said lower header,

neoaeoe the exterior portion of said conduit extending across theradiator and having discharge openings for directing the steam againstthe same.

2. The combination with a radiator for automobiles having an upperheader, a lower header and a water passage connecting said headers, ofpipe fittings applied to the upper and lower ends of said water passageand extending intothe corresponding headers, and a steam conduitconnected to the lower pipe fitting and extending through a wall of saidlower header, the exterior portion of said conduit extending across theradiator and'having discharge openings for directing the steam againstthe Same.

GUY WHITE.

